Newell



UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

GEORGE WASHINGTON NEWELL, OF MAPLEVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR ARRINGTON, OF LOUISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA.

PROCESS OF PREPARING COTTON-SEED FOR PLANTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,786, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed July 16, 1887. Serial No. 244,581. (No specimens.) I

1"0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE \VASHINGTON NEWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mapleville, in the county of Frank- 5 lin and State of North Carolina, .have invented new and useful Improvements in the Preparation of Cotton-Seed for the Purpose of Planting, whereby, first, earlier germination of the seed is secured and, second, instead of the process of sowing the seed in drills, the

dropping of the seed for a crop to approximate a stand is rendered practicable, so that the use of hoes in the cultivation of the crop is very considerably reduced; and I do 1 hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to remove the lint from cotton-seed forplanting, thereby, first, insuring the speedy germination and so rendering it practicable (by thus arranging for the cotton to comeup to a stand 2 5 ahead of the grass) to plant a cotton crop by dropping only sufficient seed to secure, just where they are desired, not many more plants than approximate a stand, and thereby, second, also making it practicable to drop seed by planters instead of sowing them, as is now done.

By my invention a great saving of expense in the first cultivation of the cotton crop is effected.

To carry my invention into effect, I treat cotton-seed, taken in the condition in which they come from the gins, with diluted sulphuric acid for a definite time to remove the fibrous lint from their hulls, and my practice 0 is to take the seed in the condition above mentioned and put them first in suitable vessels, in which I then put enough of the sulphuric acid of commerce to about two-thirds cover the quantity of seed taken. I then add a quantity of pure water equal to about half the quantity of acid which I have used, thus covering the seed. I now stir the seed in the acid solution with a wooden stick or paddle for a few minutessay from two to five minutes-till, as the result of the chemical reaction of the acid, the adhering lint has been removed. At once I take the seed out of the solution, either by dipping them out with a perforated wooden dipper, or, preferably, by drawing off the solution, or I may lift the tub or vat containing it and pour off the remaining solution into another tub. Having sepa-' rated the seed from the diluted acid, I at once rinse them with pure water. This I do both to prevent the acid from eating into the seed-germs and to put the seed in condition to be handled. The seed may now be planted immediately; but it will be better to let them remain in water and soak for from twelve to twenty-four hours, thus softening the hulls and swelling the germ s.

To economize the use of acid, I preserve the solution which I have once used,.and by adding to it again first acid and then water, in the relative proportions at first used, and of the two taken together about one-third as much of the new mixture as there remains of the old, I bring about again a reaction, which proves efficient, though requiring about twice the length of time originally taken to clean the seed of the lint-say from four to eight minutesthe seed being meanwhile thoroughly stirred in the solution; and I proceed in this way repeatedly, making the solution previously used the basis of the next prepa- 8o ration; and I have further utilized the acid by allowing other seed to remain from twelve to twenty-four hours in the solution thathad been previously used, thus removing the lint effectually by the secondary effects of the acid. I may remark, also, that even after this the entire potency of the acid is not exhausted; but I find it still valuable for reducing bones and compost-heaps made up of coarse materials.

Any suitable glass or wooden vessels (as tubs, vats, or tanks) may be used in which to treat the seed; but metal vessels should notbe used, and much care should be taken that the acid be not allowed to come in contact 95 either with the person or clothingof the manipulator, as it is injuriously corrosive. My practice is to use tubs made by sawing second hand kerosene-oil barrels in two, in which to treat one bushel of seed at a time. These I00 I find suitable for the pur 'niise, and also con- Venient and cheap.

3y this process all the adhering lint, whieh hindered easy distriinitiol'i and early germii'iation ol the seed, is removed and a speedy development of the young plants facilitated, so that generally one-third the ordinary time thatis required between planting the seed and getting the young plants up is saved; and in this way also the young plants are brought up so much sooner than usual that the growth of grass is anticipated, and the plows may be used. at the outset as soon as the young plants are well up. The seed thus prepared can be plznited just where plants are wanted to stand and in sueh numbers as to require but little, it. any,thinningout with hoes. f in the season tor gn'issing-the cotton, the few hills which may have any redundai'iey of plants can be readily and easily thinned out to the usual stand; and these prepared seed may be dropped by planters, by easily and readily adapting almost: any oi the many de- ,\'i('es now in use lor dropping other kinds ot seed, as peas and the like.

An important advantage otf this LH'UCOHS is that by it the crop is planted with from onesixth to one-tenth the tplantity of seed ordinarily used, thus effecting a considerable saying. Another o1. its advantages is that it after planting a first time the conditions have been found untfavorable for thegermination of the seed, as now frequently the ease, the crop can be planted over again with but little expense and not requiring in the aggregate so many seed, and but little, if any, more time than is usuallylft'fttllll'OLl for one planting and the bringing up of the crop by the existing method. pared is that a solution of the strengthol two parts sulphurie acid to one pat-tel water does \Vheu tin-hoes are being used later.

My experience with seed thus pre- 3 not injure the germinating qualities of the seed For the few minutes of the reaction, nor for several hours of the secondary action of the acid, but that it rather improves the seed in this respect. I find also that I can get the plants up in from six to twelve days, while by the existingmethodsit requires a muehlouger time. By my process the plants require no chopping out, and may be sided with sweeps in twelve to eighteen days from planting, thus killing the tirst grass in the germ, or while so young as to be easily killed, and also saving one plowing.

llaving ['ully described my invention, I: do not claim, broadly, the treating of cotton-seed with sulphuric acid. for remm ing the lint from the hulls; but

What I do claim speeitimlly as my invention, and desire to seeure by Letitia-s Patent, is y I]. The hereinbetore-described process of preparingeotton-seed for planting, destroying the adherent tibrous matter, which. consists in placing the cotton-seet'l in the condition in which it comes from the gin into a suitable vessel, or into suitable vessels, then vouring upon it a quantity of the sulphuric acid of commerce toeover it about two-thirds, adding a quaiitity of water equal to about one-half the quantity of acid, thus covering the seed, then stirring and allowing to remain'l'or a fewminutes, and then rtnnoving and soaking, substantially as set forth.

2. The process oi preparing cotton-seed for planting, which consists in treating the seed with a solution composed of about two parts of sulphuric acid oi. eomn'ierce and about one part of water.

tll ltlltdlt \l'ASlllNtfl'lON NI'IWELL. Witnesses:

Jim). 1!. lfzzmm, tinii'iLnu I Uzznmi. 

